The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-06-03
A LETTER FROM SENATOR REA-
GAN, OF TEXAS.

President Pope, of the Business Mems
Association, some days ago extended to
Senator Regain, of Texas, an invitation
to attend the meeting to be held i'm this
city i'm June. Mr.. Pope received a let
ter Saturday from the Senator which
will explain itself and is as follows:
PALESTINE, Tex, May %, 1887.
Hon. Il. ~ Pope Pres't Business Mems association,
Mankdto, MINI.
DEAR SIR:-Your letter of May 14this before
me, in which you inform me that you had re-
ceived letters from all parts of Minnesota ask
ing you to invite me to be present at the an.
nual meeting of your association on the 9TH of
June. have also read with care the proceed
ings of the Business Mems Convention held at
Faribault on the 18th and 18th of April, and
the report adopted by the Senate of Minneso-
to on the 10th of February last, which you
sent me. certainly feel very much compli-
mented by your invitation to attend the an
nual meeting of your association, and by the
fiattering terms in which you convey that invi-
tation; it wouldgratify me very much could
ties both Of a public end private nature put
1t ort OF my power TO S,ocoss your kind sewss
Everywhere to aud in the great and necessary
work of trying to sustain and secure the en-
forcement in its true spirit the recent act of
fairly and Justly enforced no one can esti IT,
mate at its full value its importance to the
people of the United States. 1t would protect
the material interests OF lnulNluuaiS anu cOm-
munities. 1t would break the power of mo-
nopoly, and give to the people again the con-
troll and direction of the policies which would
secure to them justice and equality of rights.
Much as wish / could be with you, an ex-
animation of the papers you sent me shows
that your association fully appreciate the i'm
portance of the issue involved, have measured
the facts and principles so as to enable them
to present clearly to state and federal commits
sions the wishes and the rights of the people.
This leaves me little to regret my inability to
a. md IN n
take organized action as those of Minnesota
are doing, and would study the questions in
volyed as your people are doing, and present
their views at the proper places as you pro-
pose to do, we would, think, be certain to Sc
cure fair and just enforcement OF the act OF
Congress.
ant of the provisions of the law to regulate
commerce, So much prominence has been
given to the discussion of the 4th section, that
many of those who have not read the law do
not seem to understand that il embOdies a full
system of remedial measures on this subject
which may be enforced in the courts indie
that in many cases the. rail-
roads have greatly increased their
freight rates, alleging that the law makes this
necessary, i'm order to make the law odious
and to endeavor to secure its repeal. Wher-
ever they do this, il they charge more than is
reasonable, they ought TO be indicted and sued
for damages And the people every where
ought to see to it that the roads keep for pub
lie inspection the schedules required by the
law.
Ii would be a great service to the public If
your association could print and distribute
large edition of the commerce law; IL ought
to be in tho hands of everybody. l will mail
ing some copies of a letter wrote to Col. Nor
risOn a member of the Commission, so as to
enclose a copy of IL with this letter.
God grant that the people of Minnesota may
he successful in their noble struggle for the
right. Very truly and respectfully,
JOHN II. REAGAN.
An inspection of the map of the United
States shows the fact that tide water OF Calves
ton, Texas, is fraction nearer to Mankato
than IL is to New York. This may some day
make us closer neighbors. X.